The Storyteller
by Kisa101
Summary: From village to village she walks alone with a backpack and a straw hat on her head. Almost everyone knows her as the Storyteller. She never stays in one place for very long. She's on a mission in search of two things: her brother and revenge. S&S E
1. The Storyteller

A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to my third story. I know I promised to put this up with the last chapter of Magicall Destined but this chapter was saved for months and my last chapter has me stumped for some strange reason (sweat drops). So I'm putting this out now. Note that my first chapters are always short but get longer as the story progresses.

Disclaimer: Unless CLAMP decides to give me ownership, which will never happen, I sadly do not own CCS. I do own the plot and original characters though.

Chapter One: The Storyteller

In a city hundreds of miles away, a young girl of sixteen stayed. She sat on the edge of a high wall with a backpack slung over her shoulders. As she sat there little children in the city saw her and smiled.

"It's the Storyteller!" a little boy named Tai yelled.

The girl smiled at the children and took the straw hat off her head and towards her neck. She held out a hand and said sweetly, "Come and listen to the story I have for you. I'm sure you'll love it."

One by one kids came running towards her and sat down. Tai sat directly in front and looked up at the girl in front of him. He stared in awe as her auburn hair blew gently in the wind.

The girl looked at all of the children in front of her. Then she began. "This is the story of a young girl and her family. They were very happy and loved each other very much. She had a mother, father, and a big brother who loved to pick on her everyday. They worked hard on the farm and their martial arts."

Everyone was paying close attention to what the Storyteller had to say. Tai spoke up. "How did they look?"

The Storyteller looked down at her favourite listener in that city. "Well, the little girl had beautiful long black hair and light blue eyes that shone as clear as crystal. She was fun and full of energy. The older brother had silver eyes instead of black. He loved to mess around with his little sister and would call him a monster. She stepped on his foot every time."

The children all laughed at that.

The Storyteller continued. "Their parents had hearts of gold and rarely had anything mean to say about anyone. This family was also a wealthy family, not extremely famous perhaps, but well known in that village and others for their exceptional martial arts skills."

The Storyteller's voice then became a bit darker. "One day however, something terrible happened…something that this girl would never forget." She stopped there and smiled.

The little children groaned anxious to hear the rest of the story. "Tell us! Tell us!" Tai begged. "Please."

She grinned and then became grim once again. "It was the girl's fifteenth birthday and as tradition, a weapon was passed down to each child on the day they turned fifteen. The family had a fun time outside as the mother taught her daughter how to use this weapon. She caught on quite quickly."

"That very night, the village went up in flames. People were screaming and running frantically. The girl's family went outside to help the people of the village…when _he _showed up."

"How did this guy looked?" a little girl in the crowd asked.

"He was extremely tall and had long black hair. His weapon was covered in blood and he had an evil smile on his face. His eyes are the one thing that'll never be forgotten. They were bloodshot and had the coldest look the girl had ever seen. The village's destruction was his fault and it was all because he was looking for this one family…he wanted weapons. He craved power and it was exactly what he could get from their family. The parents and older brother went out to fight and made the young girl help the others and then find safety. It went on for hours until it was finally over…"

The children looked up with serious faces. Who would've thought a story would get them so worked up like this?

"When the young girl went to the ruins, she found her parents… dead. She sobbed over them and then she and the people who survived the attack buried all those who had died. However, she noticed that her brother was not found. There was a chance he may still be alive somewhere. She had to find out. She just had to."

Tears were falling down some of the more emotional children. "That's just so sad," one child said.

The Storyteller nodded. The story was getting to her as well. "The girl took whatever weapons were left from the ruins of her home that wasn't stolen and traveled in search of her brother. It's said that she's still searching for her brother up to this day, looking for the same people who ruined her family and training to get stronger. Training for revenge…"

After that things went silent. With the exception of a few street noises everyone was in awe of the story. Kai smiled. "I really liked this story."

The Storyteller smiled. "I'm glad you liked it. It's one of my favourites too."

* * *

Later that night the Storyteller was at the main entrance of the village. She sighed inwardly. "I guess this is goodbye." 

"Wait!"

She turned around to see Kai running up to her. "Kai, what are you doing here?"

Kai gripped onto her sundress. "You're not leaving are you? Please tell me you're staying."

She simply shook her head. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I have something I must do. One day though, I promise I'll be back and I'll tell you another story…ok?"

Kai looked down sadly but nodded. "Ok…"

The Storyteller knelt down and hugged the young boy. "Storyteller…will you at least tell me your name. You've been here for months and no one knows your name. I'll keep it secret. I promise."

She got up, gazed at the little boy and whispered. "Sakura…Sakura Kinomoto."

Kai smiled with tears in his eyes. "Ok, bye Sakura. Don't forget to come back. You promised."

Sakura nodded and ran off leaving the village. She pulled out a map and looked to see where to go next. 'He wasn't there so let's try this village about three days away from here.' She placed the map back and started walking instead of running. 'Don't worry, Touya. I'll find you no matter what.'

* * *

A/N: Like I said, it was short but think of it as a little taste of what may happen (you don't know what I have in store afterall). I plan for this story to be a lot more developed than my first one...relationship wise for sure. So keep looking forward to the next chapter. By the next time I'm back on I should have that last chapter and the next one for She Will be Loved. That's it for now. Please R&R. 


	2. The Raven Gang and the Princess

A/N: Hello, peoples! I'm back with chapter two of The Storyteller. I apologize for being late. I hope this makes it up at least a little.

Discliamer: I do not own CCS. CLAMP does.

Chapter Two: The Raven Gang and The Princess

"Well, about three more miles left to go until I reach the next village, the Li village. I heard that the Li family is quite prestigious." Sakura sighed softly and looked out into the distance.

The sun shone brightly over the vast desert. Silence filled the air as only a few creatures were heard and seen before hiding under rocks and behind plants.

"I hope Touya is there."

The silence was then disturbed by the sound of people walking and camels. Sakura turned around to the source of the noise. "A caravan," she whispered. She had been traveling by foot for the past two days and hadn't heard anyone else until now.

Sakura turned around and lowered the straw hat on her head to hide part of her face. She continued walking in the direction she was headed and kept her distance. She would ask the caravan for a ride but she didn't want to give them any trouble. She could take care of herself.

* * *

"Sir, there is a young girl walking directly in front of us. She looks suspicious if you ask me." 

General Cheng looked out and saw the girl his servant mentioned several feet away. She had tan skin, most likely from being in the sun so much. She wore a yellow sun dress that reached slightly below the knees with a pair of comfortable jeans. Sandals adorned her feet and she wore a straw hat on her head.

What made her suspicious however was the fact that attached to her backpack was a weapon. She wore a sword and was headed towards the Li Village.

"Sir, what shall we do? Should we stop her?" a guard asked. The general continued to stare at the girl. Then he looked ahead of her and saw a group of horses coming their way.

"Let her be. Besides, it seems there's trouble ahead."

* * *

Sakura looked ahead and saw a pack of horses and their riders. "This is the second group I've met today. And to think all in a span of an hour." She continued walking. "They should pass me soon." 

However, the group didn't pass her but stopped in front of her instead. One person came off of his horse first. Sakura assumed that he was the group's leader. He was taller than her with black hair and red eyes. You could tell that he was muscular through his black shirt and jeans.

Sakura stopped and looked up from under her hat. 'Well, this will be interesting.'

He circled her and stopped in front of her once again. A smirk was evident. "Look what we have here."

Sakura smiled. "May I help you?"

"What is a cute girl like you doing out here all by yourself?"

She continued to smile. "I'm afraid that's none of you concern."

* * *

"Sir, the Raven Gang stopped in front of that girl! What should we do?" 

General Cheng held up his hand and smirked. "Let's wait a bit. We won't do anything unless we have to. Besides, she wouldn't be out here alone with all those weapons if she couldn't defend herself."

* * *

The gang laughed. "What spunk," one of them said. 

Sakura merely looked at them. "If that's all, I guess I shall be going."

"Wait."

Sakura turned towards the voice and saw another member walk up to her. "You have a lot of weapons on you; especially for a girl." He spoke in a teasing voice. "Are you sure you can handle them all?" He reached out for one.

"Don't touch them." The young girl's smile turned into a small frown and her tone was serious.

The member was shocked about the sudden change of attitude for a moment. His smile soon returned tough and he still reached for the sword at Sakura's side. "Aw, don't be like that." He touched the sword and gripped the handle.

In one swift movement she moved her leg and froze her foot only millimeters away from his face. "I said don't touch them."

Sweat dripped off of his brow as he froze in place. The other members watched in silence. Slowly he let go of Sakura's sword. "You have some moves there."

Sakura lowered her foot. "Thank you." She got a better look at the member. He had black hair and brown eyes. He was in reality a handsome guy.

"You're good…for a girl."

She raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged. "No matter what, guys will always be better." He smirked. "That's all I'm saying."

Sakura looked unbelieving. "How true do you think that is?"

"Very true. Do you know in legends and heroes of the past, there has never been a female who was stronger than a male?"

Sakura frowned and turned towards the gang. "Is that really true?"

A few of the other members shook their head. "You could never believe anything this idiot says. Yamazaki is a natural born liar."

"Hey!" Yamazaki protested.

Sakura frowned even deeper. "If that's all you want to tell me then I better get going."

"Since you don't believe me I'll just have to prove it to you." Before Sakura could say anything he aimed a punch at her direction.

* * *

"He's getting ready to fight her, sir!" The servant and guard were getting anxious. 

The general shook his head. "Not until she really needs our help."

Just then a girl about Sakura's age emerged from her carriage. "What's going on? Why did the caravan stop?"

General Cheng along with the others turned towards the voice. "Good day, Princess Tomoyo."

Princess Tomoyo was a petite girl with raven hair and lavender eyes. She wore a dress that was long but cool and suitable for the desert and sandals. "What's wrong, General? Why'd we stop?"

"I'm sorry your highness. We'd noticed a suspicious girl ahead of us and were keeping an eye on her. The Raven Gang has caught up with her though. He and a member are in a fight."

Tomoyo looked out into the distance and her eyes widened. Then she started to smile. "Move over a bit please." She pushed the general over a bit and sat down. "This is getting interesting."

No comments were made as they watched Princess Tomoyo entertain herself.

* * *

Sakura was still in the middle of the fight. The first punch by Yamazaki was so sudden that her hat flew off when she dodged it. She blocked another punch with her arm and pushed his arm on the side, delivering a punch of her own. 

Yamazaki dodged it and sent a kick aimed at Sakura's face.

She dodged it by jumping backwards. Then she kicked him off of his feet, causing him to land on his back.

About to get back up he stopped as he instantly felt pressure on his neck. He looked up to find Sakura's foot pressed on his neck and she held her sword directly above his heart.

Sakura held a determined look in her eyes. But, it turned into an amused one and a smile could clearly be seen. "What was that you said about guys always being better than girls? You might want to change your theory."

This time the gang laughed even harder than the first time they did. Sakura placed her sword back and removed her foot. The gang still laughed. "That was a good one."

Yamazaki frowned. "Shut up." He then turned and saw Sakura hold out her hand to help him up. He knocked it away and stood up. "I was caught off guard."

"Caught off guard? Dude, you started the fight. You caught _her_ off guard and she _still_ beat you!" another member said. The gang laughed even harder.

Yamazaki continued to frown. "I want a rematch."

The leader shook his head. "Not now. Later." He smiled. "One defeat is enough for today. Besides, we should leave before that caravan comes any closer. The princess is on that caravan. They would want us around. Let's go." He turned towards Sakura and smiled. "Young lady, you have earned my respect. I hope we meet again someday."

Yamazaki glared at Sakura. "We'll meet again someday for sure." He went back on his horse and rode off with the others.

Sakura stared at the group and just rode off. "That was certainly…interesting." She bent down to pick up her hat.

"Hey! You there!"

She looked behind her to see the same caravan from earlier. A young girl waved on it. 'First that gang and now this girl. What's next?'

The caravan stopped and Sakura walked over towards the girl who jumped down and shook her hand. "Hello, nice to meet you! You fought that Raven gang member so well! That was so cool."

A bewildered Sakura shook her head. "Thanks."

"You just have to come with us! You're headed to the Li Village, right?" Sakura nodded. "Well, so are we! Come and ride with us!"

Sakura didn't know what to say. She had never met anyone like this girl before. "Um…okay then."

"Great! Come on up!" They both climbed up and the whole caravan started moving again. That's when the girl laughed nervously. "I'm sorry; I got so excited I didn't even tell you my name. My name is Princess Tomoyo."

Sakura's eyes widened. "You're a princess." Tomoyo nodded her head. "Please to meet you, Your Highness."

"Please, I prefer you to call me Tomoyo. I want us to be friends."

Ah, ok."

"What's your name?"

"I'd prefer you to call me Storyteller. It's what I'm known as in other villages."

Tomoyo looked inquisitive for a moment then smiled. "So you're that girl the children in other villages talk about. You've got a lot of fans." Sakura blushed. "Okay, then I'll call you Storyteller. I hope you love the village. I'd like to head one of your stories someday." After that they started talking about random things until they arrived at the village.

Sakura had many thoughts running through her head. She didn't expect any of this to happen. She certainly didn't expect to meet a princess. One though stood out the most though. 'At least I'm still headed towards the Li Village.'

* * *

A/N: That's the end of chapter two. Thanks for all of the reviews I've been getting for my fanfics. Whenever I read a new one or see I'm added to someone's favourite list for something I start freaking out. I really appreciate it. It makes me feels great. Once again, I'm really sorry for the late update. One of the reasons for it is because...writer's block again (sweat drops). The usual I guess. Aside from that school started three weeks ago. Guess what peoples? I'm a tenth grader! I'm a high schooler now! Yay me! lol On a serious note though, I'll try a little harder to update more frequently. She Will Be Love will be updated as soon as possible...meaning when I get out of my writer's block (woe ish me). I hope you enjoy this chapter. Until next time...please R&R. Bye! 


	3. The Li Village

A/N: Hello, I'm back again. Two chapters in one day is really a record for me! Think I could keep this up? Most likely no…anyway, here's the third chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS and I never will. However, the plot and all other characters belong to me.

Chapter Three: The Li Village

For the rest of the journey Tomoyo told her all about the Li Village and what to expect once they got there. "First thing is that the village is huge and unlike most others. It is very beautiful there. The queen of the village, Queen Yelan Li, is a very kind queen and treats everyone there with respect. The village is very prosperous because of this." Sakura merely nodded her head.

"Queen Yelan has five children: four daughters and one son. They help her run the village as efficiently as possible. However, her son has reached the age where he could become king and must find a wife before he does." She stopped and smiled. "And here we are now! The Li Village."

Sakura looked around in awe as she saw that everything Tomoyo said about the village was true. It was large and beautiful and the scenery was luscious. Children ran about happily playing, singing, and laughing. Adults were either working or watching their children as they played. The older children were helping their parents.

As Sakura looked around she thought, 'This is like a bigger version of home.' The moment she thought that, she felt her heart pang in pain. She pushed it to the back of her mind as she realized that there was a great chance her brother just might be living there. The village was huge after all.

She was so busy looking at everything around her she didn't notice the kids running nearby the caravan. They were grinning and waving. "Hello, Princess Djibouti!" many of them said.

Tomoyo smiled and waved in return. "Hello children. Hope you all are fine."

Sakura smiled. "You have a lot of fans."

Tomoyo laughed. "I just love children. Don't you?" Sakura nodded. They soon reached the castle and Sakura stared up at the castle in awe. Tomoyo noticed her look. "Grand, isn't it?"

Sakura nodded. "Yea…it really is."

Tomoyo smiled. "Well, here's our stop. This is the Li Kingdom." Sakura gave her a look as if to say she couldn't be serious and Tomoyo laughed. "Yes, I'm serious. Now come on down."

Sakura looked at her doubtfully. "I don't know about this. It'd be too weird. I mean, this is so…grand."

"It's okay. You won't have to worry since you'll be with me." Tomoyo stepped down and held out her hand for Sakura. "Come on."

Sakura gave in and accepted Tomoyo's offer. After all, she had nothing to lose.

* * *

Sakura followed Tomoyo along with the general down the hall leading to where Queen Yelan was. She said that they were supposed to meet her as soon as they arrived. 

Sakura however was nervous. So nervous in fact that she couldn't even observe the castle's interior as she did with the exterior. Tomoyo told her that the queen was a very kind one but still, that didn't mean she welcomed anyone. Especially people who looked suspicious carrying weapons around like she did.

She was jolted out of her thoughts though when she heard General Cheng speak. "We're here." He spoke to the guards at the door and the opened it for them. When Sakura saw the queen she gasped. Never had she seen anyone look so elegant and regal before...not since her mother at least.

Queen Yelan smiled at the group before her. "Please, come in."

Sakura was hesitant but with a smile from Tomoyo, she reluctantly went in. They knelt down in front of her. "General Cheng at your service. I've brought Princess Djibouti here just as you asked."

"Very good. Arise." They all stood up and that's when Queen Yelan noticed Sakura. "Who is this with you, Princess?"

Tomoyo smiled. "She is a friend that I made along the way. She was on her way to this same village."

Queen Yelan nodded. "So I see." She faced Sakura. "And please, tell me, what is your name?"

Sakura held the straw hat nervously in her hands. "I'm known as the Storyteller, Your Highness."

Queen Yelan raised a curious eyebrow. "The Storyteller, huh? I believe I've heard of you before. You're known for telling excellent stories…especially for children."

Tomoyo nodded in agreement. "She's a skilled fighter as well, Your Highness."

"That would explain the weapons at her side. You seem to have a lot of skill."

Sakura's face turned crimson. "Thank you, Your Highness. However, I don't know if I'm as skilled as you think I am."

Queen Yelan smiled. "Don't be so modest. I'm sure you are extremely talented. Now tell me Storyteller, where were you planning on staying?"

She shook her head. "I do not know as yet, Your Highness. Usually, I get to know the people in the village until I find someone who doesn't mind me staying with them. I usually help around the house in return."

"Well, I insist that you stay here for your stay."

Sakura's eyes widened. "I wouldn't want to intrude…"

"Don't worry about it. A friend of Princess Djibouti is a friend of mine. You are free to stay here whenever you visit this village. I'll tell the other servants and arrange a place for you to stay."

Sakura bowed and thanked her. The three left and Tomoyo went to show her around the castle. "I told you she was nice, didn't I?" Sakura had to agree with that one.

They spent about an hour touring when Tomoyo took her towards the garden. "This is where I spend most of my time when I'm looking for a place to relax. I'm sure you'll love it here too." She pointed towards some seats that were placed in the garden and suggested they sat down.

After sitting down Tomoyo asked, "So, what do you think of the village and the castle so far?"

Sakura smiled. "I think it's amazing. Everything about it is truly wonderful. I just hope I will fit in this castle or village."

"I'm glad to hear that and I'm sure you will." She proceeded to talk about other things.

A few minutes later, a young girl with long brown came running into the garden in only her gown. She stopped when she spotted the two and ran towards them. "Tomoyo onee-chan, you're back!" She ran into Tomoyo's arms.

Tomoyo laughed. "Hello, again, Princess Rei. How have you been?"

"I'm fine, but they're trying to get me into one of those dresses again!" Princess Rei pouted.

Tomoyo sighed but kept on smiling. She then introduced her to Sakura. "Princess Rei, meet Storyteller. She's a friend of mine. Storyteller, meet Princess Rei. She's the daughter of one of Queen Yelan's daughters; Princess Feimiel."

Princess Rei gazed at Sakura. "You have pretty green eyes."

Sakura smiled. "Why, thank you. Why don't you like to put on dresses?"

"They're itchy and poofy and annoying and I don't like them!" The little girl crossed her arms and pouted again.

"So you won't wear them no matter what I say, right?"

"Exactly."

Sakura smiled. "I have a story to tell you."

Princess Rei took a seat near Tomoyo and faced Sakura. "What is it about?"

"It's about a young girl who loved to dance. She had golden hair and was about your age. She was very talented but was quite the tomboy as well and hated wearing dresses.

"A few years later, however, her family was invited to a ball held by the Queen of the village. They were told to wear their very best. The young girl's mother made her the most beautiful dance gown she had ever seen. It was blue in colour and sparkled. The girl refused to wear it however because she hated dresses. 'No! I will not wear it!' She said.

"The night of the ball came and the young girl agreed to meet with her parents later that evening. She went to the ball, not in the dress her mother made, but instead wore a shirt and pants and went. She gave the guards her name but they wouldn't let her in no matter how hard she tried. 'You're not dressed suitably for the ball. You cannot go in.'

"She started to walk home with tears in her eyes when she saw a friend of her who was also invited to the ball. Her friend asked why she wasn't at the ball and the young girl said why. Her friend smiled. 'I know you may not want to hear this, however, we were told to come in our best. It doesn't have to be expensive but it must suit the occasion…or else you'll most certainly be the odd one out. I'll go with you while you get your dress.'

"So the girl changed into the dress made by her mother, realizing that sometimes certain things just had to be done. She was accepted and allowed to enter the ball. Not only that but the queen noticed her skills in dance and asked her to perform for them. She became famous and was well known in her village and in many others because of it." Sakura looked at the girl who was truly into the story. She smiled.

"The young girl became famous because the queen saw her skills. However, if she didn't dress properly and wore the gown…none of that would've ever happened."

Princess Rei smiled. "So if I wear the gown, will something like that ever happen?"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know. You'd never know unless you tried though would you?"

"I guess that is true…" She pondered it for a while then smiled. "Okay, I'll give the dress a chance. Maybe one day I'll meet my prince because of it."

Sakura grinned. "You do that."

At that moment, a servant came into the garden and spotted Princess Rei. "There you are! I looked all over for you! I know you don't want to wear the dress but…"

"It's okay, Kiya-san. I want to wear the dress."

Kiya looked at her surprised. "Really?"

The little girl nodded. "Maybe someday I'll meet my prince because of it."

The servant didn't understand the girl's reasoning but accepted it. That was when she noticed Tomoyo and Sakura and bowed. "Please forgive me for not saying anything sooner."

Tomoyo smiled. "That's okay."

Kiya smiled. "I don't know what you did to convince her but thank you."

"It wasn't me Kiya-san. It was my friend the Storyteller over here." Sakura blushed.

The servant bowed at her. "Thank you very much."

Sakura shook her head. "There's no need for that. I'm glad I could help."

"I appreciate it all the same." She held Princess Rei's hand and walked towards the exit. "It's been a pleasure meeting you Storyteller."

"Same here, Kiya-san." Sakura smiled and waved bye to Princess Rei who waved in return.

As they left the garden Tomoyo smiled at Sakura. "Storyteller, something tells me you'll fit just fine in this castle and this village."

Sakura's emerald eyes sparkled and she grinned in reply. 'Maybe I'll fit in after all.'

* * *

A/N: So there you have it readers. The third chapter of "The Storyteller" is complete. I'm really proud of myself for completing two chapters in one day. Yay me! You gotta review for that! Okay…you don't have to…but I'd appreciate it…a lot! 

I may not update until December. As I said in "She Will Be Loved", I'm trying NaNoWriMo for the first time. Hope it works out. Also, Hurricane Noel is coming our way (I live in The Bahamas for those who don't know.) so our power will be cut off really soon. I wanted to complete this chapter before that happened. I hope you wait for my return. In the meanwhile, please review. Thanks again!


	4. The Princes

A/N: Hello, everyone. I'm back! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own CCS. I do own the original characters though.

Chapter Four: The Princes

It had been a week since Sakura came into the village and now she had started to adjust to life in the Li Village. She got to know the servants who worked at the castle and met all four of Queen Yelan's daughters. When she first met them, they all appeared to be lively and enthusiastic. They all squealed about how cute she was.

However, she now had a few questions to ask. So she went to Princess Tomoyo for help. "Hey, Tomoyo, you said that Queen Yelan had a son, right?"

Tomoyo looked up from the dress she was making. "Yes, I did. Why?"

"Well, it's just that I haven't seen him in the week I was here. That's all. What is he up to now?"

Tomoyo stopped what she was doing. "Prince Syaoran is on a mission right now. You see, there's a man who's out to try and take over this village. He is doing all possible to stop this and prevent a war from breaking out."

Sakura was curious about the man who wanted to make war but didn't ask anything else about it. "Tomoyo, why exactly are you here…in the Li Village I mean?"

"Oh! I guess I didn't tell you before." She grinned and her smile reached her eyes. "I'm engaged."

"Wow! Really?" Tomoyo nodded. "That is so amazing. Who are you engaged to?"

"The cousin of Prince Syaoran, Prince Eriol." Her eyes sparkled. "We'd been close for years and now we're engaged."

"Congratulations. Where is he now?"

"He's on the mission with Prince Syaoran." They should be back today though.

Sakura smiled. "That's good to hear. I'd like to meet them." She went quiet for a little bit then started speaking again. "Can we go into the village? I want to take a look around."

Tomoyo nodded. "Sure. Let's go."

* * *

"I don't think I'll ever get use to so many people in one village. This place is just so huge." Sakura gazed with wide emerald eyes. 

Tomoyo grinned. "You'll adjust with time." They walked further into the village. "I never did tell you that is a cute outfit you're wearing."

Sakura looked at her black shorts and pink shirt. Her hair was held with some hair sticks. "Thank you. This isn't anything really."

"Nonsense, it makes me want to create an outfit for you myself." Sakura merely sweat dropped.

"Hello Princess Tomoyo," one villager said.

"Good day," she replied back. She got several more greetings as they walked around.

"Wow," Sakura stated. "You're quite famous."

"I've been here many times before." They stopped when they heard someone crying. "Who is that?"

They turned to see a blonde haired little girl on the ground in tears. Sakura walked up to the little girl and knelt next to her. "Hello, there. What's wrong?"

Big brown eyes looked up at her. "I…I fell down." She sniffed.

Sakura held out her hand. "It's okay. You'll be okay."

The little girl hesitantly took her hand. "W…who are you?"

Sakura smiled. "I'm the Storyteller."

The girl's eyes widened. "Really?" Sakura nodded. "Would you tell me a story, please?"

Sakura smiled. "Sure. Let's sit down over there." She took them over to a big rock and placed her in her lap.

At that moment a young boy came over to her with serious brown eyes. "What are you doing with my little sister?"

The girl grinned. "It's okay Haru. She's the Storyteller. She's going to tell me a story."

Haru's eyes changed from serious to excited. "Really?" Sakura nodded and he took a seat. "I wanna hear one too!" Soon kids hearing about the Storyteller came running to see her.

Tomoyo stood at a distance and smiled. "You certainly are popular."

* * *

"That was a great story," the little girl from earlier said. Sakura found out her name was Mai. 

Other kids nodded in agreement. "What made you come to this village?" Haru asked.

Sakura merely shrugged. "I just decided to come here. That's all."

"Really? It didn't seem like it the last time we saw you."

Sakura and the children turned towards the voice to find out it was Yamazaki. "Hello Yamazaki. We meet again I see."

He smiled. "Yes we did meet again. So I assume you're the Storyteller, people talked about. I never thought she'd be such a great fighter too."

Haru looked at Sakura curiously. "You can fight?"

Sakura smiled a little at them. "I guess you can say that." She looked back at Yamazaki. "Is there something you wanted?"

"Well, I wanted a rematch but of course, not around the children. It's the last thing I'd want."

Sakura sighed. "I'm glad you realized that. Seeing as how I'm busy now, would you please leave me alone?"

"Nope. I'm going to keep nagging you."

Sakura glared. "So, you won't leave me alone until we get this rematch huh?" Yamazaki nodded. She sighed again and took the children out of her lap. "Okay kids, I'm coming right back. Give me five minutes okay." The kids looked at her curiously but said nothing.

She walked over to Yamazaki. "Okay, where do you want us to go?"

"There's a small clearing not too far from here. It's the perfect place."

Sakura nodded her head. "Okay, let's go there." She called out to Tomoyo. "I'll be right back, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo nodded. "Okay, Prince Syaoran and Prince Eriol should be back right about now so I'll come back okay?" Sakura said ok and Tomoyo left.

* * *

"The village still looks as peaceful as ever. That's a good thing." Eriol passed through the village gates first. He pushed his glasses back up. 

"You're right. We must keep it this way too," Syaoran replied. "We'll certainly be in trouble if war breaks out here."

They continued riding through the village on their horses as villagers greeted them. As they entered the gates of the kingdom Eriol looked straight ahead and smiled. "Tomoyo's coming to meet us."

They came off their horses and Tomoyo stopped. She gave both of them a hug. "I'm so glad you two have returned safely. How did it go?"

Syaoran shook his head. "We'll tell you everything inside, but first we need to see my mother. What happened while we were gone?"

They stopped talking as they heard the villagers suddenly excited. "Did you guys hear what's happening?"

"What's going on?"

"A member of the Raven Gang is in battle with a girl…and the girl's winning it appears!"

They ran off to see what's going on.

Tomoyo gasped. "They must mean Storyteller."

Eriol looked at her surprised. "The Storyteller is here?" Tomoyo nodded. "And she can fight?"

Tomoyo laughed. "You'd be surprised."

Syaoran smirked. "This is interesting. Let's see what all this noise is about."

* * *

The battle had been going on for about five minutes so far when Tomoyo, Syaoran, and Eriol arrived. Sakura was getting irritated with Yamazaki. She dodged another punch by him and aimed a kick at his face. 

He dodged and laughed. "You're pretty good, but you don't seem to be as good without your sword or else you would've ended it right now. I guess you're useless without a sword."

Sakura glared. "That's what you think." She flipped over him and kicked him in his back. Yamazaki fell on his knee but got back up. He turned around and punched Sakura but only got thin air.

He spun around but she wasn't there. "Above you." He looked up and his eyes widened as she came down from in the air and kicked him in his face.

He landed head first into the ground. Before he knew it Sakura grabbed his neck and aimed an extremely sharp hair stick at his throat. Yamazaki looked at her in shock. She smiled and let go of him. "Just to let you know, I never walk around without some kind of weapon on me. The sword isn't the only one. I didn't need a weapon to defeat you anyway."

She got up and fixed her hair stick back into her hair. Suddenly she heard clapping and cheering and noticed a large crowd came to see her fight.

Some of the children from earlier were watching as well. Haru clapped. "You were great!"

Mai shook her head. "Yea, great!"

Sakura blinked her eyes and scratched the back of her head. "When did all these people get here?"

"Not too long after you started fighting I guess." Sakura turned to see Tomoyo and two guys right behind her. "As like the first time, you were amazing, Storyteller."

"It was nothing." She looked down embarrassed.

"Nonsense, I don't see many girls who fight like you do." Sakura looked up silently at the amber eyed guy in front of him.

Tomoyo smiled. "Storyteller, this is Prince Syaoran and Prince Eriol.

Sakura looked up at them in awe. She bowed in front of them. "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

Eriol took her hand and raised Sakura back up. "There's no need for any of that." He smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you too." She looked up at them both. Eriol held a warm smile that glowed with warmth behind his glasses.

Sakura stared up at Syaoran. His eyes were such a lovely shade of amber…

"Storyteller."

Sakura snapped back into reality as they called her by her known name. "Yes?"

Syaoran gazed at her curiously. "What is it you're here for?"

Sakura smiled. "Well, I just decided that I wanted to come here and tell stories to the children here."

Syaoran raised his eyebrow. "Is that all? There are rumors that you only stay for a few months and you don't tell anyone your real name. Clearly you must have a reason for not telling anyone."

"Well I do have one more reason…but I don't want to tell anyone as yet. That's okay isn't it?" Sakura's eyes had grown just a little colder but she kept the same smile as before.

Syaoran nodded, still wondering. "Of course. It's your business after all."

Eriol faced Tomoyo. "Would you two like to come with us back to the castle? We're headed there now."

Tomoyo looked at Sakura. "Is that alright?"

Sakura nodded. "Sure."

* * *

Sakura was walking around the castle. After they had returned, Syaoran, Eriol, and Tomoyo needed to talk to Queen Yelan in private so she let them be. She thought about all that had happened since she came. 

She then thought about what her next move would be. She had to go out on a search for Touya as soon as possible. It's best that she got familiar with the village first.

At that exact moment, Princess Rei came skipping along. "Hello, Storyteller!"

Sakura smiled. "Hello Rei. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." Rei held onto her arm. "Can I play with you please?"

Sakura shook her head. "Sure!"

"Yay!" She pulled Sakura towards the gardens who followed slowly. On their way, they passed the Queen's room. She was able to hear some things as they got closer to the room.

"I guess there isn't much we can do, can we?" It was Queen Yelan's voice and it sounded solemn.

"I'm afraid not Your Highness. I'm sorry but I could not stop him from his plans. Our people were even chased out." It was Prince Syaoran.

"It's okay my son. You did your best." Sakura could hear her take a deep breath. "We must warn our village. They must be prepared at all times. Commander Lang and his army could attack at any time."

Suddenly, Sakura's mind went blank. Her emerald eyes grew wide and she stayed quiet as Princess Rei took her to the gardens. Nothing mattered to her at the moment. Only one thing ran through her mind.

'So it's _him_ who planning an attack on the Li Village.'

* * *

A/N: I apologize for being so late. As usual I had my writer's blocks, but this year I'll be very very busy since I'm in so many things. Not to worry though, my stories will progress with time. I'm working on them bit by bit. Also, Darkness Purified will be on haitus for a while. Why? Because my partner, Brittany, has B.J.C exams to take. I had my turn in grade 9 and now it's hers. I want her to do well in them so I'm letting her study. I'll update She Will Be Loved soon. Until Brittany's exams are over, only those two will I be working on. I hope this chapter wasn't too bad. Hope you liked it. 


	5. The Riot

Chapter Five: The Riot

_What could he possibly want to do with the Li Village? I haven't heard about him being anywhere in a long time now._

"Storyteller."

_I mean, of course I've been to a lot of very small villages that don't hear outside news until much later on, but I should've heard something by now._

"Storyteller."

_Whatever it is, I won't let him take over such a beautiful village without a fight. I must get the Queen to allow me to help in any way possible._

"Storyteller!" Sakura stopped in mid motion as she heard her voice being called. She caught her boomerang like weapon in mid air and realized that it was Tomoyo calling her. She was so into her training and thoughts that she didn't notice anyone was calling her. Prince Eriol and Prince Syaoran were there too.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I'm sorry. You wanted to talk?" Meanwhile, all Tomoyo could do was stare at Sakura. She stood there nervously. "Um…did I do something wrong?"

Tomoyo just continued to stare. "You're amazing… You wield that spiral shuriken like a pro." Sakura, Eriol, and Syaoran sweat dropped as Tomoyo went back to her usual perky self. "I want to master a weapon too!"

Eriol shook his head. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine, I promise. Please?" Eriol looked a bit doubtful. Tomoyo turned back to Sakura and gave her a pleading look.

Sakura gave in. "You know, I could teach her something like archery. I'd make sure she doesn't hurt herself or get into any problems too. It's a good defense weapon for her."

Tomoyo smiled and faced her fiancé again. "See? I'll be fine I promise."

Eriol sighed and eventually gave in. "Fine, it may be of good use to you anyway."

Tomoyo squealed in delight. "Thank you so much!" She gave him a peck on the cheek. "You won't regret it."

Eriol smiled. "I hope not." Syaoran merely shook his head.

Sakura smiled as well. "Is this the only thing you guys came for? What's up?"

After asking that question, all three became serious. "We need to talk," Syaoran said.

* * *

"So can you tell me more about this Commander Lang?" Sakura sat down with the others as they talked about the upcoming war. 

Syaoran sighed. "He was once the general of our army. He was a good one too. He's an expert when it came to planning and war tactics. He was one of our best too. However, he allowed all of the power to go to his head. He wanted to be more than the General of the Army. He wanted to be king."

"Of course he couldn't take over a position like that so easily so he was removed of his position and kicked out of the village," Sakura guessed. She had a feeling it went somewhere along those lines.

Syaoran nodded. "Exactly. Of course he didn't take it too lightly. He intended to return for this village one day and now that day is getting nearer and nearer by the second."

Eriol spoke up. "That's why we want you to leave as soon as possible. We don't want to put you in any danger."

Sakura shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't do that or more exactly…I don't have the heart to do that."

Tomoyo looked at her worriedly. "You don't have any family to hold you back. It's not as if you have a reason to stay."

"Ah, but you see, that's where you're wrong. I do have a reason to stay and I do not plan to leave until I've fulfilled it. I'm willing to stay in the village even to help as a guard." Sakura was determined and kept her ground.

Syaoran gazed at her curiously. "Would you care to tell us exactly what you're reason is?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm not ready to tell anyone just as yet. Perhaps later."

Tomoyo, Eriol and Syaoran all looked at each other and shrugged. Syaoran finally took a deep breath. "All right you win. However, I hope you know that this is a dangerous thing you're getting yourself into. I realize that you're a skilled fighter, but this is war. You can't battle just one on one anymore like we saw you do. People have no morals. Commander Lang is the type of person who'd go into someone's home and slaughter the whole family without a second thought. He has no heart. You'd be putting your life on the line."

Sakura was grim. _Oh, trust me; I know what he's like. _She nodded. "I understand. I realize what I'm getting myself into. This is something I want to do. I have to do this."

"I realize this. Clearly you don't intend to listen to what I'm saying so we might as well let you do as you wish."

Sakura smiled. "Thank you very much." She then grew serious once more. "Have you told anyone outside the castle about this upcoming war yet?"

Eriol shook his head. "Why, no. We haven't told the villagers as yet. We plan to tell them though. They need to know what's going to happen from us."

Tomoyo shook her head. "I agree. To hear this type of news from the wrong group could spell out chaos."

At the moment the servant Kiya came running in. Her cheeks were flushed from the running she just did. She stopped in front of the group and bowed before them. "Forgive me for interrupting but there is a riot outside of the castle…and the Raven Gang is leading it!"

Syaoran stood up startled. "A riot? About what may I ask?"

"They're talking about some kind of war, Your Highness."

Eriol groaned. "Leave it to them to find out about everything first! Now we have a riot on our hands!"

Tomoyo stood up as well. "We must get going and see that this ends at once!" They all ran out of the gardens to attend to the matter.

* * *

There was an enormous uproar at the castle gates. Angry faces could be seen all around. The people were confused and wanted answers and who better to lead them than the Raven Gang themselves. 

The leader of the gang stood in the front, the guards trying to hold them back. "We demand to see Queen Yelan at once!"

"I'm afraid you're going to have to wait, sir. Now please go back!"

"Why should we have to wait when the war isn't going to wait on us?" One of the villagers yelled out angrily.

The guard glared, irritated. "There has been no mention of any war as yet. I ask once again…go back. I'll have to use force if you don't."

"Go ahead and try it!"

"What is going on here? I demand an answer!" The crowd went silent as they turned to see none other than Prince Syaoran standing on top of the wall. His arms were crossed and he wore a scowl. "I will not tolerate such behavior. What is going on here?"

This was a completely different side of Syaoran the village was seeing. He was usually friendly but you could tell he meant business. The Raven Gang leader bowed before Syaoran and spoke up. "We meant no harm Prince Syaoran."

"It doesn't seem as if you meant no harm, Ryu; not in the very least." Syaoran stared hard at him.

"We only want to know about this war that you didn't tell us about." Ryu returned the same stony stare. Some of the other villagers were bold enough to mumble in agreement.

Syaoran kept the same stare as he continued to speak. "Well, clearly you and the rest of the gang didn't even give me a chance to announce anything. However since you did I guess this time is best." He looked out into the crowd. "It is true what you have heard. There is a war coming and Commander Lang is leading it."

This gave the villagers quite a shock and some started talking worriedly. "We do not know when he intends on coming but I can assure you that it will be very soon."

He looked at them kindly, finally releasing his stony glare. "Of course I have not forgotten about all of you. We'd never willingly put you in any harm or danger. That's why we intend to keep this battle as far away from the village as possible. The army will keep their eyes out outside the gate of the village and let us know of when they come. They'll fight out there. We also have a plan. If something does happen you all know what to do."

The villagers started to calm down a bit after hearing this bit of information however… "How do you know if that plan will work for sure? You said you don't know how they'd come so how do you know they haven't already read what your tactics are?" They all turned to see Takashi speaking angrily.

"You realize who we're dealing with, right? This is Commander Lang! He was once the general of _our_ army. He was one of the best generals we _ever_ had. Do you think that just guarding the outside of the village would be enough?"

Syaoran glared at him. "That's enough, Takashi."

The village was riled up again. Takashi narrowed his eyes. "Do you really know what you are doing?"

Suddenly out of no where a dagger grazed Takashi's cheek and landed behind him on the ground. The second time that day the village went silent. As he held his now bleeding cheek he followed the path the dagger came from to see Sakura standing on top of the gate not too far away from Syaoran. Where did she come from?

Sakura stood there angrily staring at Takashi. She held another dagger in her hand. "Why must you always be in things like this? Tell me are you really this hard headed or just plain stupid?"

Takashi could only frown silently as she continued. The villagers were too stunned by her attack on Takashi and therefore listened as she spoke. Even Syaoran was surprised by her actions.

She looked up at the crowd. "I know that I haven't been here very long so I don't know much about this village. I do know one thing; you have no reason to be rioting. Do you honestly think that Prince Syaoran would not have told you about the war? I can tell from the time I've been here that the royal family that lives here cares a lot about the people residing in this village. Do you think they'd sit back and do nothing and let you all suffer?" Sakura took a deep breath and smiled. "Now that we've gotten that straight please listen to whatever else that has to be said."

Syaoran was too busy admiring the control she had with the people. They didn't object to anything she said and listened quietly. Of course, a lot of the reason is probably due to the fact that she just threw a dagger at Takashi but he also noticed that they truly respected her. Syaoran finally came to himself and became serious once more. "Yes, I know that we can't simply guard the gate and expect us to be okay. However as I said before, we do have a plan. We're not unprepared. We have a great general as well and besides," he smirked. "I taught Commander Lang about tactics."

* * *

"I heard there was a riot outside. Is this true Syaoran?" Queen Yelan gazed at her son worriedly. 

"I'm afraid so, Mother. However, there is no need to worry. The matter has been dealt with promptly." Syaoran bowed.

Queen Yelan nodded. "That is good to hear." She smiled. "I also heard that the Storyteller was a great help to you as well."

Prince Eriol affirmed it. "She spoke to them and got them to listen to what had to be said."

"She was an excellent help," Tomoyo added.

Queen Yelan turned to face Sakura. She looked away slightly embarrassed making the queen smile even more. "You did a good thing. Thank you."

Sakura blushed and bowed politely. "It was my pleasure."

"Now I've been thinking about this war that was coming up. You're a guest here and I don't to put in any danger. However, something tells me that you don't want to leave. And therefore, I won't make you."

Sakura was stunned and couldn't move. As the words started to process she realized that she wasn't being forced to leave. She could stay. Soon she had a smile that reached all the way up to her emerald eyes. She bowed once again. "Thank you, Your Highness." This was perfect. Now she could do exactly what she had wanted to do. Help out in the war as much as possible. Commander Lang would be in for a surprise.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. It was kinda rushed so I hope it isn't too bad (didn't have much time). Thanks for all the reviews! Until next time! 


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